MIAMI, Okla. – Fans attending the Thursday, Aug. 22 football game between the Northeastern A&M Golden Norsemen and the club team from Metropolitan University of Denver need to be aware of several changes taking place at the storied venue off Robertson Field.

Along with a new, more powerful lighting system, the refurbished Robertson Field will feature a modern synthetic field turf surface as a replacement of traditional grass.

Because of the work on Phase 1 of three potential phases in the ongoing changing of the football field, fans are faced with the reduction of available parking space.

All free parking facilities will either be located on the east side of the stadium or south of the NEO Fieldhouse gymnasium. There will be no parking or seating on the west side of Robertson Field.

Two ticket booths will be located on the east side No admittance will be allowed on the west side.

Just prior to the game, fans will be entertained with the reemergence of the Norse Stars Dance-Drill team. Director of spirit, Michelle Martin, has 16 young women and the Norse Stars will be joined by the cheerleading squad and the Golden Norse Marching Band.

“We’re excited about having the Norse Stars back on the field after a one-year absence,” NEO athletic director Dale Patterson said. “When we discontinued the program in 2012 because we only had seven participants. So to start out with more than double that number shows we are moving in the right direction.

“When all three groups are on the field at the same time, there will be close to 100 students in the show,” Patterson said. “That should be very exciting for our fans.”

Another important aspect of the 7 p.m. contest is that it will be the first college football game in the United States and the debut of Golden Norse head coach Sherard Poteete.

“This is going to be a special season: the first for me as head coach, the first on the new surface at Robertson Field, the first college football game of the 2013 season, the first time since 2003 starting the season as defending regular season champions, and the first time these Norsemen go into battle together……I can’t wait,” said Poteete.